Tag Archives: backstage recording studios

Album Review – Accept / Humanoid (2024)

Posted on by
1

A sonic assault of blistering riffs, powerhouse vocals, and adrenaline-fueled melodies dealing with topical themes like AI, aging and death, brought into being by the Teutonic masters of Heavy Metal.

A sonic assault of blistering riffs, powerhouse vocals, and adrenaline-fueled melodies dealing with topical themes like AI, aging and death, the heavy and vibrant Humanoid is nothing more, nothing less than the seventeenth studio album by Teutonic Heavy Metal masters Accept, and a more-than-worthy follow-up to their 2021 album Too Mean to Die. Once again recorded, mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap at Backstage Recording Studios, and displaying a metallic artwork by Gyula Havancsák, the new album by Mark Tornillo on vocals, Wolf Hoffmann and Uwe Lulis on the guitars, Martin Motnik on bass, and Christopher Williams on drums is a metal missile that targets the head, heart, gut and balls, inspiring the band to continue stepping forward and bringing us the Heavy Metal we know and love from one of the most important bands in the history of heavy music.

Sinister guitar tones ignite the opening tune Diving into Sin, exploding into a metallic feast with Mark and Wolf leading their bandmates in a pure display of modern-day Accept, and they put the pedal to the metal in the title-track Humanoid, offering our ears an overdose of pounding drums, blazing riffs and a mechanized vibe in line with the song’s theme. Frankenstein presents cheesy but catchy lyrics declaimed by Mark (“Got the strangest feeling, something isn’t right / I hear peculiar sounds amidst the eerie light / Can someone tell me, who I’m supposed to be / I was at peace but now something’s awakened me”) while the rest of the band delivers pure Heavy Metal for the masses; whereas more classic Accept is offered to us all in Man Up, with Wolf and Uwe taking the lead with their 80’s-infused riffs while Mark receives a solid support by his bandmates on the backing vocals. And The Reckoning is an absolute banger by those Teutonic metallers where everything sounds incendiary, from Mark’s vocals to all riffs, bass and drums blasted by his crew.

The band continues to feed our minds and souls with the purest form of Heavy Metal in Nobody Gets Out Alive, where Wolf and Uwe, accompanied by the rumbling bass by Martin, sound utterly classy and thrilling armed with their axes; whereas in Ravages of Time, Mark delivers Blues-infused words (“I’ve been to many places, I’ve drank a lot of wine / I’ve loved a lot of women in my time / I took what I was given, too much was not enough / And now I’m here to tell the tale”) amidst a gentle, melancholic sound, or in other words, it’s a nice ballad by those veterans. It’s then pedal to the metal spearheaded by Wolf’s blazing guitar in Unbreakable, with Martin once again hammering his bass nonstop, therefore enhancing the song’s punch considerably, and there’s still more to go in Humanoid, starting with Mind Games, another old school, solid composition by Accept, albeit a bit generic compared to the rest of the album, while there’s nothing better than a song about some quality drinking in a Heavy Metal album like Humanoid, titled Straight Up Jack, and of course Mark’s vocals match perfectly with the topic “discussed”, resulting in a song with a strong AC/DC vibe. Lastly, let’s slam into the circle pit one final time to the sound of Southside of Hell, bringing forward more of their trademark riffs and beats and, consequently, closing the album on a metallic note.

Accept Humanoid Limited Edition Deluxe Boxset

Mark, Wolf & Co. are waiting for you on Facebook and Instagram with news, more of their music, tour dates (and they’ve just announced a co-headlining tour across North American with KK’s Priest, which is definitely going to be a celebration of pure Heavy Metal that you don’t want to miss), and don’t forget to experience Humanoid by clicking HERE and to buy a copy of their newborn metal beast from Napalm Records (including the more-than-special Limited Edition Deluxe Boxset containing a mediabook CD, a flag, a lighter, a keytool in a guitar shape, a textile sticker and a photo card) or by clicking HERE or HERE. Accept are one of those bands that despite always looking forward and embracing new technologies, at the same time they stay loyal to their foundations, and Humanoid is the perfect depiction of that healthy clash of the past, present and future of the band. We’re all humanoids, but of course with Accept kicking our asses with their undisputed metal music like what they have to offer in their new album, we can call ourselves headbanging humanoids.

Best moments of the album: Frankenstein, The Reckoning, Nobody Gets Out Alive and Unbreakable.

Worst moments of the album: Mind Games.

Released in 2024 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Diving into Sin 4:00
2. Humanoid 4:35
3. Frankenstein 4:14
4. Man Up 5:08
5. The Reckoning 4:34
6. Nobody Gets Out Alive 4:06
7. Ravages of Time 4:15
8. Unbreakable 4:53
9. Mind Games 4:05
10. Straight Up Jack 3:27
11. Southside of Hell 4:56

Limited Edition/Mediabook/Boxset bonus track
12. Hard Times 3:41

Band members
Mark Tornillo – vocals
Wolf Hoffmann – guitar
Uwe Lulis – guitar
Martin Motnik – bass
Christopher Williams – drums

Album Review – Judas Priest / Invincible Shield (2024)

Posted on by
5

Nothing can stand in the way of the Metal Gods as they raise the invincible shield of Heavy Metal.

Faster than a bullet, the unstoppable Judas Priest are back in action stronger than ever, raising the invincible shield in the name of Heavy Metal in their nineteenth studio opus, the masterpiece titled Invincible Shield, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2018 album Firepower. Produced by Andy Sneap at Backstage Recording Studios, and displaying an incendiary artwork by Mark Wilkinson (Marillion, Fish, Iron Maiden), Invincible Shield offers the listener 11 breathtaking tracks of pure, unfiltered Heavy Metal (or 14 if you go for the deluxe edition of the album) masterfully brought into being by the Metal God Rob Halford on vocals, Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner on the guitars, Ian Hill on bass, and Scott Travis on drums, positioning it as a must-listen for any fan of heavy music, and as the most serious contender for album of the year. Well, to be honest, it will be the album of the year, and yes, Invincible Shield is THAT good.

Panic Attack, the first single released back in October, kicks off the album on a high and metallic note, with Halford sounding tight as ever with his high-pitched, soaring screams while always supported by the crisp and incendiary instrumental pieces from his bandmates. Then we have the pulverizing The Serpent and the King, and I honestly don’t know how a 72-year-old vocalist can still deliver these pure metal lyrics with such a high level of power (“Idols to their worlds / Manifesting anger, / Conjurers of evil times! / We can sense the danger! / They claim every soul, / Show you who’s the leader! / Bow before iconoclasts, / Creators of disaster!”), resulting in a lecture in classic Judas Priest offering us all endless heaviness, fire, epicness, speed and fury; whereas the title-track Invincible Shield takes us back to their Ram It Down, Painkiller and Defenders of the Faith times, or in other words, it’s another flawless blast of razor-edged riffs and solos by Glenn and Richie, while Scott hammers his drums as usual for our total delight. Devil in Disguise is an imposing, heavy-as-hell metal hymn where Halford keeps distilling his unparalleled vocals while Ian and Scott make sure the earth trembles with their massive bass and drums, respectively; and the party has no time to end as their rockin’ vein pulses harder than ever in Gates of Hell, where Richie sounds majestic on the guitars as usual (as well as throughout the entire album), followed by Crown of Horns, another one of the singles released prior to the album launch, a more cadenced Hard Rock composition focusing on the melodic vocals by Rob.

Their metallic engine keeps roaring loud in As God Is My Witness, where Scott takes the lead with his classic beats accompanied by the slashing riffage by Glenn and Richie, and I would definitely love to see them playing this one live, whereas in Trial by Fire the band offers more of their darkly poetic lyrics (“Burden of guilt / Branded a liar / Falsely accused / Trial by firе / Committed no crime / In my innocence / I have endured / Trial by fire”) amidst a somber, headbanging sound perfect for their live performances. It’s then time for Ian to smash his bass in Escape from Reality, generating a reverberating atmosphere before Rob comes ripping in a song that reminds me of his time with the awesome Fight. In Sons of Thunder the name of the song says it all, blasting our ears with a Heavy Metal extravaganza led by Richie and Glenn’s blazing riffs while Rob continues to hypnotize us all with his purely metal vocals, sounding like a song taken directly from the 80’s; and closing the regular version of the album we have the horn-raising tune Giants in the Sky, again presenting their trademark riffs and beats, therefore providing Rob with everything he needs to shine on vocals. And if you’re a true metalmaniac and go for the deluxe edition of the album you’ll be treated to three amazing bonus tracks (also released on a bonus 7″ EP sold separately and included in promotional bundles), with all three songs being great and making the extra investment in the special edition totally worth it, with an honorable mention to Fight of Your Life for being the most emotional of those.

Judas Priest Invincible Shield The Complete Bundle

This flawless hurricane of Heavy Metal is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course you can purchase your favorite copy of it and put a huge smile on the faces of the Metal Gods by clicking HERE (including the insane Invisible Shield The Complete Bundle). Also, don’t forget to follow the Metal Gods on Facebook and on Instagram for all things Judas Priest, including their unmatched live concerts, which is something every decent person on earth should experience at least once in their lives. Nothing can stand in the way of Judas Priest as they raise the invincible shield of Heavy Metal in their brilliant new album, a masterpiece that in my humble opinion is their best effort since Painkiller, and an album that will surely reverberate to all four corners of the earth, spreading some Heavy Metal magic for the absolute delight of us all, mere mortal metalheads, as we praise the Metal Gods for all eternity.

Best moments of the album: The Serpent and the King, Invincible Shield, Gates of Hell, As God Is My Witness and Sons of Thunder.

Worst moments of the album: None, of course.

Released in 2024 Sony Music

Track listing
1. Panic Attack 5:25
2. The Serpent and the King 4:19
3. Invincible Shield 6:21
4. Devil in Disguise 4:44
5. Gates of Hell 4:37
6. Crown of Horns 5:45
7. As God Is My Witness 4:35
8. Trial by Fire 4:21
9. Escape from Reality 4:24
10. Sons of Thunder 2:58
11. Giants in the Sky 5:03

Deluxe Edition / 7” bonus tracks
12.Fight of Your Life 4:15
13.Vicious Circle 3:00
14.The Lodger 3:46

Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Glenn Tipton – guitar
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums